The present invention relates generally to tear gas grenades and, more particularly, tear gas-type grenades using as the expulsive force compressed gas such as CO2 which, unlike a pyrotechnic, is flameless and thus provides a correspondingly flameless use.
The use of expulsive Carbon Dioxide (CO2) tear gas grenades are well known because the expulsion is flameless due to the use of CO2, as distinguished from a pyrotechnic expulsive fuel which burns hot and may shoot out white hot slag, one such flameless CO2 tear gas grenade being that described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No 5,069,134 for xe2x80x9cFlameless Expulsive Grenadexe2x80x9d issued to Pinkney on Dec. 3, 1991.
The ""134 tear gas grenade and all other known similar grenades benefit from a flameless expulsion due to the use of CO2 for the tear gas formulation which is normally in powder or liquid form, but in the absence of delicate handling prior to use and/or careful control during use, these grenades are vulnerable to premature release of the CO2 and thus a tear gas consequence at an unwanted non-target area location.
Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a flameless CO2 tear gas grenade overcoming the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art.
More particularly, it is an object to release the CO2 for its expulsive effect following a piercing of its storage container caused by use of an expanding and contracting pyrotechnic-produced gas, but under safe and controlled circumstances which maintains its flameless nature, and in which the gas expansion for container piercing and subsequently contraction for CO2 release from the pierced container entails a time interval which obviates any premature tear gas consequence until completion of the trajectory of the grenade at the target area, all as will be better understood as the description proceeds.